How Many Prostate Forums do you Read & Post On?

I read this one and FrankTalk. Occasionally, I look at a other sites but these are the ones I check frequently. I started here when beginning my journey and, (I know this is going to sound sappy, but...), it almost seems like family. I want to know how things work out with the guys.
I have not told my coworkers about my situation, but I can very comfortably say to you guys: "Hey I have ED, just finished breakfast and have already changed my pee pad twice." I value that freedom.

Plus I collect all my frequent answer points to get free procedures at Uro clinics serviced by Delta. ;-)
Jeff
---I couldn't end it on a serious note.

Post Edited (Worried Guy) : 2/11/2010 7:00:25 AM (GMT-7)

I read and post on this one, Yananow and FrankTalk. I found Yananow first when I was diagnosed and then this one shortly after.

Tamu

I am on this board almost daily. You guys have become family in a strange kind of way. I also look at FrankTalk.com and get post from Prostate Cancer Info Link.

Thanks to you guys you have made this journey easier and I feel less like a freak. Misery loves company!

Jeff T
Cajun Country

Only this one on a regular basis.  I will check (but not post) on yananow very rarely.  Like Jeff, I find the frequent poster points here to be a real plus.  I'm trading mine soon for a new flat screen TV.

 

Tudpock

Hey Casey
I like that there is a mix of serious and light, info and venting. Does the Healthboard site have discussions of the resolution of PSA testing and pricing? Or the best way to attach a pee pad for reduced leakage? Or where to get the best deal on meds? (I really don't know- I have not visited that site.) I'm a technical guy and have no trouble looking up and finding specific info. But, that is a solitary activity for me. I get in, find it and get out.
On HW, the signatures and associated treatments and histories are valuable as well. It is interesting to see the range and how I fit in. I confess that after a while, the stats become more than just stats and turn into individuals - and then I want to know how the guys are doing. I am following three threads now relating to Slings since they might be in my future.
So yes, there is chatter, but that is easy to filter. I just don't click it if I am not in the mood.

After all is said and done it might be the personal connections made here that I find most valuable. I've met some truly great guys.

J

Casey,

While I encourage true freedom of speech and opinion without censorship, I felt your post above to be a bit on the cold and unfriendly side. HW is not meant to replace sound medical advice and medical opinions we all get from our personal medical communities. Plus, the internet has hundreds, if not thousands, of straight medical talk and technical discussion. What HW Prostate Cancer has been known for is being the best patient to patient site out there. And I agree strongly that it is.

If I were looking for technical talk, and wanted specific answers to my medical woes, I would bring it up with my doctors in a heart beat. I can only speak for myself, but I enjoy the interaction we have here, from man to man, women too, about our PC journeys. HW Prostate Cancer is a place to find hope, to find courage, to encourage one another to keep fighting the fight.

No one has it easy here. We have each earned our way into HW Prostate Cancer by the nature of having a fight with the beast PC. All of us are different in every possible way. Each of us have a different level of understanding these complex journeys, different ways of handling the pain (for some), the fear (for most), and looking to the great unknown ahead (all of us).

Together, we do have a strong brotherhood. Real friendships are and have been made here. Many of us "vets" stick around because everytime you turn your back, a whole new group of brothers enters our doors, fresh with a PC dx, scared to death, not sure what to do, or where to turn. So we stay to help, and by helping others, we help ourselves.

If I wanted an encyclopedia answer to the fine points of PC, I wouldn't come here. Plenty of doctors and medical pros I can talk to, and plenty of online sources for straight facts and data.

I believe in the united brotherhood here at HW Prostate Cancer, because I am one of them. Nothing more, nothing less, just another "joe" on an extended journey into the world of Prostate Cancer.

David in SC

Sorry, you misunderstood my characterization of the other site, David. It's got more of the "solid layman's understanding of the technical issues." Not an encyclopedia. Also not a replacement for medical advice.

On the other hand, I think you did understand my characterization of this site. Much more friendly chatter (I didn't give an opinion as to whether this was either bad or good), mixed in with some personal opinions and suggestions. [I will observe that the opinions do sometimes--not all the time--seem to be "all over the map" and sometimes seem to be opinionated WITHOUT sound back-up or even sometimes counter to basic medical concepts, which certainly causes additional confusion to newcomers...this will be the one and only somewhat negative comment I have about HW, and luckily this is infrequent.]

If you've never been to any other site (you already said you hadn't), then it is understandable that you might not fully appreciate the differences I have described.

Jeff, by the way, I'm glad you didn't take offense to my reuse of your HW sample posting.  I laughed when I read yours, and thought you would appreciate it's reuse in the same spirit. 

i post only here but also read the yana site. i really like the different views here both technical and emotional and have gained great insite into this curse. i also really like the fact that folks can disagree on something respectfully with it turing into a bash fest. tim

Originally I was all over the place, I only made two post on another site.   I have exclusively limited my time as far as forums go to Healingwell.   I do spend a bunch of time reading medical publications on various sites Hero

I primarily use this site now as my source for info at a patient to patient level, with some sadness, gladness, support and humour. Regardless of the topic and what is said the messages here have an underlying feeling of HOPE. I know this has been an overused word in the USA and Canada but it helps people get through another day.

I was initially on a gaymen's group but found that the majority of topics were on two main things - whether or not mr. happy was hard enough, and comments of the bisexuall members cheating on their wives. I did not feel welcome there at all. I gave it a couple of months, but have withdrawn from that particular group.

I will be checking out the yananow site and see what it has to offer.

all the best

hugs
BRONSON

I usually frequent Healingwell and Yananow and occassionally drop in on a couple of others to see what happening. I am somewhat dissapointed though when ads such as these two appear at the top of a Healingwell prostate cancer page. These ads while offering dubious products and services  outright lie when dismissing conventional treatments for PCa. I know that revenue has to be raised to finance the site but there must be quality advertisers out there.

http://www.ultimate-cancer-breakthroughs.com/?457759
http://www.douglassreport.com.au/reports/psa.html?gclid=CID6lr6w658CFQ-lagodkGhHYA (the report in the link is outrageous in its claims)

Bill

Post Edited (BillyMac) : 2/11/2010 4:01:49 PM (GMT-7)